Victim-Centred Policing: The Shepherd's Solution to Policing in the 21st Century
| Author | Mark Clark |
| Published date | 01 September 2003 |
| Date | 01 September 2003 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1350/pojo.76.4.314.25823 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
MARK CLARK
Police Inspector, Queensland Police Service, Australia
VICTIM-CENTRED POLICING: THE
SHEPHERD’S SOLUTION TO
POLICING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
The article discusses the emergence of victim-centred policing
as a philosophical approach to reducing the effects of criminal
victimisation. It discusses the convergence of criminological
thought with policing in identifying the importance of the
victim in the response to crime. It identifies the need to
restructure policing practices to position the victim as a strate-
gic focus for policing in the twenty-first century and to take the
institutional lead in the criminal justice system.
The symbolic, cultural and philosophical transformation neces-
sary to operationalise the philosophy of victim-centred polic-
ing is examined. The importance of social research and the
need for professional expertise within the policing unit to
facilitate victim-centred police operations is also discussed.
The article explores the role of the victim in traditional law
enforcement and the move towards models of community
policing that emphasise victim involvement in the criminal
justice system. A discussion of the victimisation process and
the inclusion of principles of restorative justice as a critical
factor in the recovery of the victim are provided.
Introduction
The recognition of the victim has steadily evolved in academic
criminology and policing practice in the past thirty years. The
United Nations General Assembly, in its Declaration of the
Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of
Power (UN, 1985), defined the protection of the rights of the
victim as an essential duty of the state. The declaration called
specifically for crime-prevention policies to be introduced to
prevent criminal victimisation of individuals. This has promoted
the status of the victim in criminal justice systems around the
world, and has refocused the strategic emphasis. The recognition
of situational crime-prevention measures, such as ‘repeat victim-
isation’ and ‘crime hotspots’, shows some promise in supporting
the emphasis upon the victim as a strategic starting point for
crime-prevention policy (UN, 2000).
314 The Police Journal, Volume 76 (2003)
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